Post by Sherry on Jan 8, 2013 10:31:22 GMT -5

EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINETHE TRUE SCIENCE BEHIND RAW FEEDINGLYN THOMSON (BVSC DIPHOM) & ANNA MAIR (BVSC, GDIPTCHG)AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND~IntroductionIn this era of evidence-based medicine, a criticism that is often levelled atraw-feeding a species-appropriate, prey-based diet to pets, is that there is alack of scientific research to support the practice. The purpose of thisdocument is to highlight the research that supports feeding pets theirevolutionary diet. The research covers three important aspects of feeding araw prey based diet:- The nutrient content of raw food.- The non-nutritive aspects of raw food (including dental health andbehavioural enrichment).- Food safety issues or raw-feeding (for human and pet health).It is imperative that we define the nutrient profiles of cats and dogs basedon current evidence, but we should look further than just nutrient profilesand include the non-nutritive aspects of food. Finally, the evidenceavailable must support the safety of a raw food diet for pets and theirowners.Defining Nutrient ProfilesOutlined below is a brief history of the challenges in defining nutrientprofiles for cats and dogs. The National Research Council (NRC) of theUnited States National Academy of Science, and the Association ofAmerican Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) are the two most influentialbodies when it comes to feeding domestic cats and dogs.(1)Since the 1940’s, the NRC have released reports on the nutrientrequirements of cats and dogs, based on available literature and research.The reports have been updated as new research has come to light. TheNRC receives no direct funding for the reports, and is dependent onsponsorship to fund the reports.1AAFCO was formed in 1909 to establish a framework for uniformregulation of the feed industry. Although not a government agency, itoperates within the guidelines of federal and state legislation, includinglaws administered by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and theUnited States Department of Agriculture (USDA).1While companion animals are the ultimate beneficiary of the NRCguidelines, the pet food industry is the key user of the reports. There iscurrently a very legitimate and real concern about how to maintain thehigh standard and objectivity of the NRC guidelines in the face of thepotential tensions of the pet food industry.The NRC guidelines assume that availability and digestibility of nutrientsis uncompromised.1 Unfortunately, due to the nature of the raw materialsused in the commercial production of pet food, this assumption does nothold true. As a result, pet food manufacturers concluded that the NRCrecommendations could not be used in a manufacturing environment.1 Toresolve this, in the early 1990’s, AAFCO formed the Canine and FelineNutrition Expert Subcommittees. These subcommittees comprisedrepresentatives from the pet food industry and academia, and werechaired by a representative of the FDA.1 They provided industry, andindustry regulators, with a vehicle for translating the NRCrecommendations into a set of practical guidelines which better suited thepet food industry. These guidelines made life easier for the manufacturer.AAFCO has accepted some of the NRC’s recommendations, but certainlynot all. These guidelines have not been reviewed since the 1990’sIn 2006 the NRC published an update of recommendations for cats anddogs.1 The 2006 document represents a substantial improvement fromprevious guidelines but has become an expensive document to produce;severely limiting its outreach. It would certainly appear that AAFCO havenot taken note of the most recent nutritional research.To summarise, AAFCO provides some basic nutritional guidelines; arough framework to build upon. The guidelines are very much concernedwith the practicalities of making pet food from a vast array of low qualityingredients. They are minimum requirements, not optimal requirements.AAFCO acknowledge the NRC guidelines, but do not uphold them. Inthe words of Quinton Rogers (DVM, PhD), one of the AAFCO panelexperts,“although the AAFCO profiles are better than nothing, they provide falsesecurities. I don’t know of any studies showing their adequacies orinadequacies.” 1Based on available nutritional science, it is best to take the AAFCOprofiles as a starting point. These profiles are well-established minimalnutritional requirements of cats and dogs. Meeting a minimumrequirement is important for the pet food industry. However, optimisingour pets’ nutrition is essential for improving their health and wellbeing.The Nutritive and Non-Nutritive Aspects of FoodWe feel it is important to recognise food as not only having a nutrientprofile, but also as having a form and function appropriate to the speciesbeing fed. The literature contains numerous references to the food habitsof feral carnivores and therefore the appropriate nutrient profile is readilyavailable.2 It is important to meet a minimum nutrient profile usingspecies-appropriate food - minimally processed and fed in a physical formthat meets a pet’s behavioural, needs and enriches their lives.We are concerned with the nutritive and non-nutritive aspects of anevolutionary diet of whole prey for cats and dogs. Our recommended rawfeeding regimes are based on the following research.Ellen Dierenfield’s report4 on the nutrient composition of whole vertebrateprey shows that a whole prey diet is more than adequate to meet the needsof our carnivorous pets. The report discusses the nutrient composition ofprey species, focussing on the differences in composition of particular preyspecies, with age, and sex and nutrient intake of the prey species itself.The report confirms that whole prey, as long as the soft tissues and somebones are consumed, meet all the nutrient requirements of carnivores, andat the same time enhance and positively influence behaviour.4The report covers water, protein, fat, ash, fat soluble vitamins, macromineralsand trace minerals, and suggests that the diet consumed by theprey species should be carefully assessed with respect to nutrient content,interactions and persistence in tissues. The value of the prey species isdependent on what the prey species consumes. Wild sourced prey arelikely to be more nutrient dense than farmed prey.4 Based upon currentresearch the study concludes that supplementation of whole prey-baseddiets appears unwarranted.4It is also important that we recognise the impact of diet on the psychologyand dental health of all of our pets. In the words of veterinarian Dr JonLumley:“you do not need a degree in nutrition to evaluate the effects of raw boneson a dog’s dentition – in fact, it appears that the qualification would be aserious disadvantage!” 3Improved appetites, longer periods spent feeding and greaterpossessiveness of food were noted in captive cheetahs fed a carcass baseddiet.5. The study notes that processed foods lack the ‘hassle factor’ and as aresult of eating them animals suffer tooth decay, dental pathologies,muscle atrophy and poor health.5 The study references Fagan’s 1980presentation to the American Association of Zoo Vets (6) where the ‘hassle factor’ is defined. Dr Fagan, Zoo Veterinary Dental Consultant,states“it is possible to do something immediately and significantly to minimiseoral problems in (captive exotic) carnivores. That ‘something’ is to reevaluatetheir diet. Animals need more ‘hassle factor’ per mouthful ofnutrients. The best kept secret of the last fifty years is that we musteliminate the pre-processed, the overcooked, the smashed, the blended andthe pureed foods and feed our animals a more appropriate diet,duplicating the feeding habits of feral conditions.” 6For the last eighty years we have ignored the literature with respect to oraldisease in our pet carnivores.The study concludes that a more natural diet (for example carcasses)better meets the psychological as well as nutritional needs, by taking intoaccount diet consistency, texture, temperature, palatability andvariability.5 Non-nutritive factors should be considered when feedingcarnivores. Consumption of whole prey provides for a relatively highintake of raw animal derived fermentative substances which may enhancegut health, stimulate growth of microbial commensals and optimiseimmune function in a very different way from heat treated, largely plantderived processed foods.7Recent studies have shown that changes in the macronutrient content ofthe diet alters faecal microbial populations in the domestic cat.8 Cats haveevolved as strict carnivores with little or no carbohydrate in their diet. Dryprocessed diets, with low protein to carbohydrate ratio have been linked toobesity in cats. Emerging evidence suggest that microbiota are critical tothe development of obesity8,9 and shifts in the faecal microbiota may be asa result of an increased carbohydrate load entering the large intestine dueto the low protein:carbohydrate ratio in the dry diets.9 Emerging sciencecontinues to support the importance of the evolutionary diet of thedomestic cat.Food Safety IssuesAn increasingly global and complex pet food supply chain furthercomplicates the already substantial challenge of assuring pet food safety.This is a shared concern applying to commercially prepared petfoods, rawfood diets and home prepared diets.10 As increasing numbers of consumersrely on commercially produced pet foods, the potential impacts of hazardsassociated with the manufacture, distribution and use of pet foods isamplified. Common sourcing of ingredients (from a global supply chain)and increased size of production lots lead to escalating problems.Documented problems include: chemical contaminants in food (melamineand cyanuric acid), high levels of aflatoxins due to improper sourcing ofingredients, botulism in improperly canned dog food, and several recentbouts of salmonellosis directly linked to contamination of dry pet foodsand pet treats. Microbiological issues are often traced back to the use ofcontaminated raw materials, typically grains such as peanut flour.Managing Salmonella in the production of dry pet food can be verychallenging, as many of the raw materials are naturally contaminated.The most prevalent argument against raw feeding is to do with food safetyas it pertains to both humans and pets. Earlier this year the AmericanVeterinary Medical Association (AVMA) released a statement regardingraw-feeding.11 They referenced several studies which suggested that rawprotein sources may be contaminated with pathogenic organisms, and thatpets may develop clinical illness from these organisms. They also statedthat cats and dogs with either clinical illness, or subclinical infection are ahealth risk to other animals and humans. They concluded with arecommendation to (in the interests of public health) avoid feeding rawfood (inadequately treated animal-source protein) to cats and dogs.Certainly food safety must be considered as a potential hazard whendealing with raw animal protein, and given the numbers of pet ownersfeeding their cats and dogs raw food the Veterinary profession would bewise to establish guidelines to educate owners about harm reduction.Instead, the AVMA released a blanket statement advising against anykind of raw feeding. This is unhelpful to a large number of pet owners,and only serves to marginalise them.Upon examining the references, (which we discuss in greater detail in aseparate document) on which the statement is based, one could beforgiven for feeling somewhat confused as to what the AVMA believes constitutes evidence-based policy. Many of the conclusions drawn wereonly very loosely based on study results, if at all.The AVMA have been questioned about their motivations for this policywhen there is currently a relatively much greater problem regardingcontamination of processed foods, and the known incidences of humanillness caused by these foods (“raw pet foods comprise approximately less than1% of the pet food market” 12). Dr David M. Chico, chair of the AVMACouncil on Public Health and Regulatory Veterinary Medicine,acknowledged that there are concerns regarding commercial processedfoods. The reason he gave for addressing raw food rather than processedwere that “the council had simply dealt first with issues connected with rawmeats.” 12ConclusionA thorough search of the literature reveals the depth of nutritionalinformation available to us as veterinarians. The literature shows theimportance of a minimal nutrient profile being a starting point for theselection of an optimal diet for domestic pets, and confirms theimportance of the diet being presented in a physical and functional formthat meets the physiological and psychological needs of our companionanimals. Food safety is confirmed as an issue affecting the global supplychain of pet food and an issue which must be addressed by all pet foodmanufacturers. In this era of evidence-based medicine, the current andemerging science supports the feeding of a raw prey-based, speciesappropriatediet, to domesticated carnivores for optimal health andwellbeing.References(1) Butterwick, R.F., Erdman Jr., J. W., Hill, R. C., Lewis, A. J., &Whittemore, C. T. (2011). Challenges in developing nutrient guidelinesfor companion animals. British Journal of Nutrition. 106, S24-S31.doi:doi:10.1017/S000711451100184X(2) Landry, S. M. (1979) Food habits of feral carnivores: A review ofstomach content analysis. Journal of American Animal HospitalAssociation. 15:6, P. 775-782(3) Lumley, J. (1993, August). Raw meaty bones: Cats and dogs. Controland Therapy Series, Series 25, 3406, 556. Retrieved fromwww.cve.edu.au/elibrary/article/3579(4) Dierenfeld, E. S., Alcorn, H. L., & Jacobsen, K. L. (2002).Nutrient composition of whole vertebrate prey (excluding fish) fed in zoos.Published by: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Agricultural ResearchService, National Agricultural Library, Animal Welfare Retrievedfrom purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS80845(5) Bond, C.J., & Lindburg, D.G. (1990) Carcass feeding of captivecheetahs(Acinonyx jubatus): the effects of a naturalistic feeding program onoral health and psychological well-being. Applied Animal BehaviourScience, 26, 373-382.(6) Fagan, D.A. (1980) Diet consistency and periodontal disease in exoticcarnivores. Proceedings of the Conference of the AmericanAssociation of Zoo Veterinarians, Washington, DC, 34-37.Retrieved from www.colyerinstitute.org/pdf/diet.pdf(7) Plantinga, E. A., Bosch, G., & Hendriks, W. H. (2011). Estimationof the dietary nutrient profile of free-roaming feral cats: possibleimplications for nutrition of domestic cats. British Journal of Nutrition,106, S35-S48. doi:10.1017/S0007114511002285(8) Bermingham, E. N., Kittelmann, S., Henderson, G., Young, W.,Roy, N.C., & Thomas, D.G. (2011). Five-week dietary exposure todry diets alters the faecal bacterial populations in the domestic cat (Feliscatus). British Journal of Nutrition, 106, S49-S52.doi:10.1017/S0007114511000572(9) The Economist (2012, August 18). The human microbiome - Me,myself, us - Looking at human beings as ecosystems that contain manycollaborating and competing species could change the practice of medicine.The Economist, , 62-64. Retrieved fromwww.economist.com/node/21560523(10) Buchanan, R.L., Baker, R.C., Charlton, A.J., Riviere, J.E., &Standaert, R. (2011). Pet food safety: a shared concern. BritishJournal of Nutrition, 106, S78-S84.doi:10.1017/S0007114511005034(11) American Veterinary Medical Association (2012, July). Raw orUndercooked Animal-Source Protein in Cat and Dog Diets. Retrievedfrom www.avma.org/KB/Policies/Pages/Raw-or-Undercooked-Animal-Source-Protein-in-Cat-and-Dog-Diets.aspx(12) American Veterinary Medical Association (2012, 28 August).Raw Pet Foods and the AVMA’s Policy. Frequently Asked QuestionsAbout. Retrieved fromwww.avma.org/KB/Resources/FAQs/Pages/Raw-Pet-Foods-and-the-AVMA-Policy-FAQ.aspx(13) American Veterinary Medical Association (2012, 15September). Raw food policy draws debate. Journal of the AmericanVeterinary Medical Association News. Retrieved fromwww.avma.org/News/JAVMANews/Pages/120915q.aspx

Post by josiesmom on Jan 8, 2013 12:28:54 GMT -5

I listened to Josie - she told me zactly what ferrets need! Then I ventured into the raw realm and have been rewarded with vibrant, glorious healthy ferrets! Keep sharing my experiences and tryng to get more folks to convert their ferrets. Even just ONE convert is rewarding because I know how their ferret feels better and they feel good about their ferret too! Now if I could just get people on the FML to stop listening to a certain person that is entrenched in kibble and spews lies about feeding raw....

Post by yureiavalon on Jan 8, 2013 14:51:29 GMT -5

People will say and think what they want to ignore the evidence as it's presented right in front of them. Even if it weren't for the healthy coat and increased energy in my guys, the fact that Mayhem's chronic intestinal issues have all but disappeared thanks to the raw diet makes it worth the while, and all the evidence I need that kibble is crap in a bag!

She no longer spends her days asleep all the time, curled up in a ball acting like she's miserable. Now she's vibrant, playful and full of attitude. The proof is in end result, and it doesn't take very long to see results.

Post by Sherry on Jan 9, 2013 9:29:22 GMT -5

TBH, that's one of the main reasons I quit reading the FML. Even Bob Church came on and went head to head one time, telling everyone that the quotes that person had used had been taken completely out of context and that in HIS opinion not feeding a species appropriate diet was killing ferrets ;DNo response, but he was completely ignored in the next go round

Post by yureiavalon on Jan 10, 2013 9:09:47 GMT -5

I've been very surprised by people on this forum saying they get frowned upon for feeding raw! I'm from Australia, and feeding cats and dogs raw is the normal thing to do here

In the USA people want instant gratification. They want to open a bag of something and pour it into a dish, they do not want to bother with having to chop up or thaw a meal or prepare it. Technology and corporations have made people very lazy over here. And the big pet food companies have played right on that weakness, offering convenient kibbles over the last few decades. Now most people don't know any better and with all the marketing these companies put into their products to make them seem "balanced" and "healthy" people take it hook, line and sinker like the suckers we are.

Post by mikaylamason on Jan 10, 2013 10:30:55 GMT -5

Yeah, I can easily understand that

And I think one of the reasons many people feed their pets raw meat here (even though it isn't usually a holistic diet) is because we have kangaroo meat sold very readily available, and marketed mainly as a 'pet meat'

Post by mjbez on Jan 10, 2013 21:24:08 GMT -5

Interesting read. Thanks for posting Sherry.I agree with some of the posters as well. When people find out I feed a raw diet they are really surprised. I think raw is just foreign to so many people yet.Rachellori- That really sucks that your vet is anti-raw ! I'm so fortunate that my vet is pro-raw and is a raw feeder herself.